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Thread: The Mandate #1

  1. #141
    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    As Ying turned into the guest house wing, his eyes narrowed at the sight of Chancellor Gao. He felt a strong urge to hide himself, but decided against it. He had already been crowned King, and at his age, it's simply unsightly for him to hide from a subject in such a manner.

    He would face the chancellor, no matter how much he hates hearing the same old subject that was being broached.

    "Ah... Your Highness! Your loyal subject pays my respect to you!" The chancellor bowed deeply in reverence.

    "Chancellor. What a coincidence." Ying smiled.

    "Yes, indeed." Chancellor Gao replied, but it was clear that the chancellor didn't really think so. Ying knew the chancellor must have come here to look for him. The man might be old but he's sharp. There was a very good reason why despite being a neutral force during Donghai's troubles, he was unharmed and his services retained. The tutor of both Prince Zhang and now Prince Ying, he was well-respected in court and even the previous King was respectful of him.

    "Your Highness... I presume you are here to meet with Miss Gao."

    "Yes." Ying replied unabashedly. No point hiding it if the chancellor had already taken the trouble to ambush him here. Ever since he was crowned, Chancellor Gao had petitioned for him to get married, pushing portraits of numerous women to him every now and then for choice. But Ying remained disinterested - he didn't exactly feel a great need to get married and plus, how could he marry any of those women when his mind was already preoccupied with one woman? At the same time, he might not be able to push it off much longer.

    As a King, he not only has stately responsibilities but also family responsibilities. As the head of the family, he must marry and have children. At the same time, Gao Xingling would not be approved for she was merely a merchant, a commoner.

    Chancellor Gao looked at the silent Ying. The young king would not be able to run away much longer. Sooner or later he'd have to fulfill his duties as a King and head of the Sima family, and that is exactly what Chancellor Gao has come to remind him of. If he does not fulfill those duties, he'd be deemed as unfit to rule. Although Donghai finally has a King, but it is no longer as strong as it used to be, and not all court officials were truly loyal to Ying - they surrendered merely out of fear and to save their own lives, but no doubt would raise up in arms against Ying if given the chance to. It would be harmful for him and Donghai if he tries to pull off any stunts that were against proper protocols.

    "Your loyal subject shall not hold Your Highness up." Chancellor Gao bowed and left. There was no further need to bother the young King. From the look in his eyes, Chancellor Gao knew that the King was well aware of the risks.

    Ying sighed in relief as he watched the Chancellor leave. He resumed his trip to the guest house. His heart beat faster as he went closer to the house. Waving away the servants, he went up to the door and knocked on it.

    "Miss Gao. It is I..."
    Last edited by Guo Xiang; 12-31-11 at 02:03 PM.
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  2. #142
    Senior Member Ren Ying Ying's Avatar
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    Cont. from post 134, some distance outside the city walls of Wancheng

    //JIANCHENG?!!! //
    Whatever words Wuxin had spoken before or after that all slipped through Xue Qian’s ears. Whatever it was that Wuxin said about his father, Xiwu, or under protection. As far was he was concerned, nothing good can come out of Jiancheng, nor is there anything much worse than Jiancheng. Perhaps Hell? Maybe not even Hell is worse if all those rumors that he hears about Jiancheng is true.

    Xue Qian forced a smile back at Wuxin to acknowledge her. “Only considered as a dead man? In your hands, I might be better off dead…” he muttered under his breath.

    “What is that you’re saying?”

    “Er, I said, ‘Your hands are too tight, it’s suffocating me to death!’”

    Just as his words ended, Xue Qian felt Wuxin tighten her grip and pull him to the left. A sudden whooshing sound came from behind and Xue Qian felt a quick breeze cutting past his right cheek. Xue Qian felt his heart beating out of his throat as he realized that an arrow had just cut past his face before finally landing at a far distance ahead . Had Wuxin been one milisecond slower in pulling him to the left, that arrow may have landed though his skull instead.

    Wuxin chuckled, “Well, you can either have death by being suffocated by me or death by an arrow through your head?”

    Before Xue Qian could reply, another arrow cut past his left cheek.

    “Damn, he’s faster than I thought!” Wuxin cursed as to turned her her head around, only see Zhang Duo Qian’s Bodyguard riding closer no more than 50 feet behind. She pulled hard on the reigns to a sudden stop. The steed neighed loudly as it stood on its hindlegs and kicked its forelegs in the air furiously.

    “What are you doing? We’re suppose to run forward, not stop!” Xue Qian cried while hugging the horse’s neck as tightly as he can to prevent himself from falling backwards off the horse.

    A smirk crossed Wuxin’s lips, “What? Are you scared of him?” With that, she yanked the reign with her right hand and turned the horse in the opposite direction, charging towards the bodyguard! Even the bodyguard was taken off guard by the fact that Wuxin had decided to charge towards him rather than run away from him. Before he could draw another arrow or unsheath his sword, the horse carrying Xue Qian and Wuxin blew past him, now gallopping behind him in the opposite direction. He quickly pulled the reigns of his horse to change directions. To his horror, before the horse could make half a turn, it suddenly fell forward over its forearms and crashed into the ground. The Bodyguard quickly jumped off the horse as it laid on its side, writhing in pain and crying loudly. Upon further examination, he realized that someone had sliced the horses knees halfway, and only upon turning directions did the bones twist off and break apart. He knew Xue Qian was not capable of such an attack, thus it must have been that girl. Who the hell was she? The bodyguard looked up to find his targets, only to find that they had galloped off far away in another direction. All he could see was the dust they had left behind.
    Last edited by Ren Ying Ying; 01-25-12 at 05:59 AM.

  3. #143
    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    The horse ran like the wind ceaselessly, spurred on by Wuxin. All the while Xue Qian felt suffocated, unable to move from Wuxin's grip.

    Then suddenly, her grip loosened and he felt like he was flying. Or rather, plucked into the air by steel-like fingers, his legs dangling helplessly in the air. He could not help but scream.

    "Ooof!" He cried out as he hits the ground harshly. He looked up and saw that he's in the middle of nowhere in the woods.

    "Hmpf. You can really shout, can you?" Wuxin said in annoyance as she stepped out of the shadows and stared at Xue Qian.

    After the brushes with death, and now having landed in some random woods with someone from Jiancheng, Xue Qian felt his heart turn cold and his stomach tying one knot after another.

    But then, she did say that she wasn't going to kill him, right? No wait... she said he will be under her protection until the order for a change of mission arrives.

    Was she implying that the mission could change to 'kill Xue Qian' instead of 'protect Xue Qian'? No no no! That's too messed up! But there's no way he could get away from her. She's too highly skilled for him.

    As Xue Qian experienced the emotions of torment, Wuxin was observing him.

    "... What is it you are thinking?" She asked suspiciously. Obviously, he didn't trust her. That behaviour was to be expected. Most people from Xiwu wouldn't trust someone from Jiancheng. At least not for their first few meetings. But she couldn't trust him to not consider putting a knife in her back. The Chancellor was not known for his ethics and it wouldn't be too surprising if his son had picked up a few nasty tricks from him.

    "Uhh... just wondering why... why Jiancheng picked up this mission. I mean, Jiancheng hasn't really been in touch with the Xiwu court for years, hasn't it?" Xue Qian quickly pulled something from his memory banks to block the suspicion that was clearly manifesting in Wuxin's eyes.

    "... Not exactly. It is true that Jiancheng and the Xiwu court has not have dealings for years now, but communication is inevitable." Wuxin replied. Jiancheng's sphere of influence is far-reaching in Yizhou, and that influence often infringes on the power of the Xiwu court. Magistrates had to tiptoe the line to avoid enraging Jiancheng while having to placate/settle anyone who suffered from their brutality, and at the same time has to maintain the influence and power of the Xiwu court. It was said that the Left Emissary often receives complaining letters from the Xiwu court on Jiancheng's excesses. But the extent to which she actually did anything about it was debatable.

    Jiancheng did not like dealing with the court, and it's no secret that the Xiwu court resents Jiancheng as well. Long gone were the days when they were great allies. But even back then, it was all about profits and mutual benefits, never true friendship.

    "Erm yeah... of course." Xue Qian nodded. He knew all that already, but if it could take some of her attention away from him... maybe, just maybe, he can tolerate looking like an idiot for a minute or two.

    "It's a secret relationship."

    "Huh? Xue Qian turned to look at Wuxin, surprised at the sudden addition of words.

    "Your father didn't just spend money, you know."

    He stared at her and it felt almost as if she was smiling under her veil.

    She tapped a wooden tube at his head.

    "Hey!" He was offended at the treatment, but she only laughed. As the wooden tube slides away, he saw it was a flute.

    "Sleep well. If you want to have any chances to running away alive." She said tauntingly as she plops to the ground and shuts her eyes.
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  4. #144
    Senior Member IcyFox's Avatar
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    Continued from Post #141

    There was no reply from within the guest room, so Prince Ying pushed the doors open gently and walked in. He saw no one, so he walked to the balcony and drew the curtain aside. A svelte figure was leaning against the pillar, staring at the full moon.

    Prince Ying said, "Erm... Miss Gao?"

    Yue Jiayan turned to him with a gentle smile, her rosy cheeks glowing radiantly in the bright moonlight.

    He took a sharp breath as her captivating eyes looked back into his own. He had so many things he wanted to say to her, but now that she was right in front of him, he found himself unable to say a word.

    Yue Jiayan eyed him curiously, her smile curving slightly into a grin.

    At this, Prince Ying himself blushed, and he hurriedly tried to begin the conversation to hide his embaressment.

    "Xiwu swallowed our territories yet now they demand an alliance with us, while I owe my throne to Pan and I'm obliged to repay them; but what if the Pan King makes unreasonable demands on Donghai? How can I face my ancestors if Donghai collapses under my reign?" Prince Ying blurted out in 1 breath.

    Yue Jiayan chuckled softly, gently placing her hand on his arm, saying, "You are correct, to deny that Donghai is currently no match for Xiwu and Pan is suicide. You have to build up Donghai's economy and military, and only then will your people have confidence in you. But meanwhile you have to swallow your pride and cooperate with Xiwu and Donghai."

    Prince Ying frowned but made no objection because he also knew the truth.

    Yue Jiayan continued, "Making concessions to Xiwu and Donghai now may be bitter, but your country will benefit by the increase in trade, and that will buy you time to build up your military. When Donghai is strong and prosperous, you can end these concessions."

    Prince Ying found her words and her touch to have such a soothing effect that he felt like he was in a dream.

    Yue Jiayan continued again, "Also, it appears that your ministers are petitioning for you to take a Queen..."

    Prince Ying looked at her sheepishly and gave an awkward smile, and was about to mutter some excuse but Yue Jiayan said, "I suggest Your Highness propose an alliance of marriage with Xiwu. I believe the Xiwu Princess of the Nothern Clouds will make a good Queen to Your Majesty the King."

    Prince Ying's expression changed. He bit his lips and argued, "Wait. What..? This is..." But he stopped as he found himself in Yue Jiayan's deep and earnest gaze. In the moonlight she was so beautiful, like a fairy descended from the heavens.

    Yue Jiayan took his hand and placed it on her chest, saying, "I'm saying this from my heart. Trust me on this one."

    Prince Ying found his hand cupping her amble bosom, and he could feel the soft flesh and pointed tip under her silk gown and was greatly aroused.

    Looking up at her sweet smile again, he sighed.

  5. #145
    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    Ying’s hands trembled slightly as he read the letter that was delivered by Pan’s messenger. He had read it earlier before court and he still felt as angry when he read it for the second time.

    Seeing the King’s blank expression and taut lips, the court officials could not help but get worried.

    “My King… what did Pan say in the letter?” A court minister asked.

    “Read it for yourself.” Ying tossed the scroll of letter to Chancellor Gao, who caught it and pulls it open to read.

    As Chancellor Gao reads on, disbelief took over his curious expression. The King of Pan was actually making a demand for Donghai to send Lady Jia, the favourite concubine of imprisoned Prince Zhang, to him!

    Putting aside the outrageousness of the demand, Pan clearly showed no respect for Donghai and was treating it as a vassal state.

    “Hmpf! I can’t believe the nerve of Pan! Besides, didn't the King of Pan just recently marry the Princess of Xiwu?!” Chancellor Gao was angered but at the same time greatly saddened. It wasn’t that long ago when Donghai was the most powerful state, feared even by Xiwu. But now it has come to the state where it is so easily and readily invaded and ridiculed by its neighbours.

    “We cannot accede to this demand, Your Highness. Or Donghai will never be able to lift up its head again, even if we managed to return to our former strength.” Chancellor Gao said.

    “I am well aware of that.” Ying replied. But was there any choice? The letter was written as a request, but anyone could tell it was in reality a demand that took advantage of Donghai’s weakness. And the fact was Donghai did not have the strength to fight back.

    “Looks like the carts of gold, gems and treasures I sent to Pan weren’t quite enough.” Ying mused, “The King fancy a woman more than those? Is our pride really worth more than Donghai’s well-being?”

    “Your Highness, if we give in, Pan will just become more bold and disrespectful. I fear what their next demand could be.” Chancellor Gao said, upon realising that the young King was considering to do as demanded. “Besides, this is not just our pride, but Donghai’s pride as well.”

    “You should know that we do not have a second option, Chancellor Gao.” Ying said.

    “… You promised your brother you would take care of Lady Jia…” Chancellor Gao uttered in shock.

    “Wrong. I promised I would spare her. I did not say I’d take care of her. He did not ask for me to take care of her either.” Ying rebutted.

    “Must you get to the details, Your Highness?” Chancellor Gao was upset. “Even though Lady Jia is not the princess consort, she isn’t any random concubine either.”

    “She’s merely the concubine of a traitor.” Ying said forcefully.

    “The traitor you speak of is your brother!” Chancellor Gao stepped forward, his fists balled up indignantly.

    Ying slammed his table angrily. “We do not have the strength to resist Pan! Don’t you even understand that, Chancellor Gao??”

    The court went deathly silent at that.

    “Xiwu is at our doorstep, eyeing our lands. None of our neighbours can be of help. If we even fall out with Pan, Donghai is finished. We need all the time we can get to rebuild Donghai so we will not suffer further humiliation. This is a necessary sacrifice.” Ying said.

    “… What if… what if it doesn’t work?” A minister asked faintly.

    Ying’s expression softened.

    “… Then it means Donghai’s fate had run its course.”

    No one said anything else. The dice had been thrown.

    “Court dismissed.” Ying said. The court officials bowed solemnly and began to file out unenthusiastically.

    “Chancellor Gao… please stay.”

    The elderly statesman stopped and turned back.

    “Yes, Your Highness?”

    Chancellor Gao’s tone was cold. No doubt he still did not agree to the decision of submitting to Pan’s demand and was upset about it. There was little Ying could say or do to placate him. Only time would tell if the decision was justified.

    “… What do you know about the Xiwu Princess of the Northern Clouds?”

    Chancellor Gao was surprised. Why was he suddenly asking about this? It can’t be that he’s thinking of…

    “… Your Highness… are you planning to put forward a proposal of alliance by marriage to Xiwu?”

    “… I am thinking about it… but I have not made a decision on it.” Ying said, turning his face away from Chancellor Gao. “Marrying the Xiwu princess could stop the risk of Xiwu attacking us.”

    “Or increase the likeliness of Xiwu absorbing us.” Chancellor Gao said, biting his lower lip. He understood the idea, but he simply could not agree with it.

    “... Xiwu has tried to parley with our border generals but none of them have responded so far. It is up to Your Highness to decipher Xiwu’s intentions… and respond.”

    “I know…” Ying nodded solemnly.

    “This will be the second political risk you will be taking, Your Highness. I most certainly hope that these decisions are correct.” Chancellor Gao said tiredly.

    “If you’d pardon me, Your Highness, I’d like to retire for the day...”

    “Yes. You may go, Chancellor Gao.”

    As Ying watched the elderly statesman leave, he leaned back on his chair and stared up at the ceiling.

    “… Forgive me, ancestors of Donghai… this is… all for the sake of Donghai…”
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  6. #146
    Senior Member patricia n's Avatar
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    Continued from post 138

    It was approaching evening and the nuns routinely cleaned up the temple, getting ready to close the front door. A young nun approached Wu Haocun and his party and shyly stated, “Benefactors, it is getting dark. Please pardon our rudeness, but we will have to usher you to the guest house at the foot of the hill.”

    Haocun nodded in understanding, “Of course, we have to respect the need to segregate the different genders.” Turning to Xiangfeng and pushing her forward, Haocun continued, “But my friend here is a female. Can we please intrude and have her stay in the main house?”

    The young nun’s eyes widened, not sure if the little man who stood before her was male or female, “Oh…I.”

    Xingye stepped in and reassured the young nun, “If it makes you feel any better, I can lend Xiangfeng my garments and you can see for yourself that she is a young lady.”

    The young nun nodded. Something about Xingye eased her concerns.

    Haocun and Huo Yuan exited the door, but Huo Yuan turned around and quickly looked at Xiangfeng, “Take care of yourself.” He was worried. Xiangfeng had little experience in the martial realm, and although Puti Temple was not known to house any great martial artists, the top fighters certainly were significantly more skilled than Xiangfeng.


    ******

    Inside Xingye’s room, Fengming watched as Xingye gathered a few outfits for Xiangfeng. Fengming bowed her head and asked, “Left Emissary, is it necessary for you to lend that Xiangfeng girl your clothes? They are so valuable. I can offer her my clothes instead.”

    “Nonsense. She is a friend of Brother Wu, so we must treat her well.” With that Xingye exited her bedroom and headed towards Xiangfeng’s room.


    Fengming’s mind quickly wandered, “Left Emissary is known for her kindness,s so I should not be surprised that she wants to treat Wu Haocun and his friends well. I should not think any thoughts. But it seems as though Left Emissary left Wu Haocun around the time she was pregnant. Could he be Yushen’s father?” Fengming looked up and Xingye’s back had already disappeared from her. “I shouldn’t be thinking such nonsense. My job here to protect and obey Left Emissary. Such gossips would only get me in trouble with Jiancheng.”
    ****
    “Here, change into these clothes and the residents here will feel more at ease with your presence,” offered Xingye. “And after you change, we can go downhill to have dinner with Brother Wu and Huo Yuan.”

    “Thank you for lending me your clothes,” Xiangfeng hesitated, “But I’ve spent the past few months with Elder Wu and Huo Yuan. I would like a break from them.”

    Xingye nodded, “I guess a young lady also needs her privacy.” She then smiled, “Well, perhaps I will see you after dinner?”

    ****

    Xiangfeng quickly changed and wandered about the temple to familiarize herself with the layout. She thought to herself, “This temple is truly not small. Where can I find this imperial edict?”

    The last incense stick had burned completely, signifying bedtime. All the female guests were required to return to their room, including Xiangfeng.

    Xiangfeng sat in her room, waiting for midnight to arrive.

    *****

    At the foot of the hill, Xingye merrily engaged in a conversation with Wu Haocun as the two reminisce about the Fabulous Four past.

    Fengming stood guard but could not help but observed how Xingye genuinely seemed happy today. However, she was too familiar with Xingye to discard the hint of caution behind Xingye’s eyes. “No wonder Left Emissary is where she is at today. Even at her happiest, she still is cautious about her surroundings.”

    Huo Yuan cleared his throat, “It is getting late for me. Please excuse me.”

    Only then did Wu Haocun realize that it was quickly approaching midnight.

    Xingye poured herself another cup of wine, “Brother Wu, we haven’t seen each other in almost two decade. Will you disregard social etiquette and continue to drink with me?”

    Haocun smiled, “Of course, but let me use the restroom quickly.”

    After excusing himself, he walked towards Huo Yuan’s room. When he entered, he saw that Huo Yuan was dressed in all black. Haocun explained, “I cannot get myself out of my current engagement to help Xiangfeng without raising Xingye or Fengming’s suspicion. Tell Xiangfeng that Princess Cuifen said the Queen loved to spend time in the library to learn about buddhism.”

    ****

    Midnight arrived, and Xiangfeng left her room. She wandered throughout the temple, and every sacred room was carefully locked.
    ***

    Huo Yuan successfully sneaked back into the temple. He also wandered about the temple, looking for Xiangfeng and also for the imperial edict. He then saw a lady dressed in pale yellow walking down the west hall and thought to himself, “I need to get rid of that girl before she sees me or Xiangfeng.” He chased after her and raised his hand.

    ***

    Xiangfeng continued to wander and slowed down. She saw the four candles flickering against the wall to her left, “Strange, I seem to have circled this place a few times and there is nothing at this end for me to explore.”

    She abruptly turned around and widened her eyes and gasped when she saw a masked person in front of her.

    Huo Yuan slammed his hand down and stopped right before he hit her.

    Seeing the masked person pause, Xiangfeng turned around to run away from him, but Huo Yuan grabbed her arm in time, “Feng, it’s me, Huo Yuan.”

    Xiangfeng looked carefully at his eyes and calmed down, “Huo Yuan, you scared me. Where is Elder Wu?”

    Realizing that he still had his hand on her, Huo Yuan awkwardly released his hand and stammered, “He…he couldn’t make it.”

    “Did he give us any clues on where to look?”

    Huo Yuan peeked at her. He had never seen her dressed as a girl before. Perhaps it was because he had not been around women his age in a while or perhaps the dim lit room outlined her figure well. Whatever the case, he suddenly felt shy around her. She was not an outstanding beauty such as Chen Biyu or Xingye, but Xiangfeng was not a bad looking young girl either.

    “Um..Um…library. He said something about a library.”

    Xiangfeng frowned, “There are four libraries here: the sacred library which has all of the martial arts manuala is locked; the library that contains all of the philosophical works; the library that contains other important literary works; and the final library which contains the unwanted books. They are in the four different wings of Puti Temple. We will never be able to explore all four libraries in time.”

    Huo Yuan quickly stated, “Philosophy. Right, supposedly the Queen loved to learn about Buddism.”

    “That is in the south wing. That room is always unlocked because the priestess wants everyone to learn about Buddism any time during the day or night. Follow me.”

    The two quietly walked towards the south wing when a voice boomed, “Who dares intrude on Puti Temple at this hour?”
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  7. #147
    Senior Member patricia n's Avatar
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    Suddenly, a bell rang loudly, and eight shadows soon surrounded Huo Yuan and Tang Xiangfeng. Each person held a sword with the tip pointing directly at the center, waiting for the signal to attack.

    The room was fully lit once again, and the owner of the voice stepped forward, “How dare you intrude at this hour. Let me finish you myself.”

    Both Huo Yuan and Tang Xiangfeng looked the elderly woman who spoke. The woman looked just as sickly as she sounded, yet she seemed so confident that she could defeat them. Watching her take one step forward, they both thought that she would fall any second as she looked so frail and weak. Her face was completely pale, her hands were trembling the entire time, and her voice was so raspy.

    “Merciful Buddha! Junior apprentice sister, please let them explain themselves before we take any rash action,” spoke a kinder woman. This woman was simply clad, but looking at her headgear, one would immediately recognize that she was the head priestess.

    The sickly woman stared at the head priestess, “I don’t need to listen to you.”

    Panic flashed in the head priestess’s eyes, “Junior apprentice sister, concentrate in Buddha’s teachings. You must control yourself.”

    The sickly woman shook slightly, took a deep breath, and repeatedly muttered, “Merciful Buddha.” After a while, she looked at the head priestess, “I don’t know how much longer I can control myself.”

    The head priestess ordered, “Everyone, chant the first teaching of Buddha now. “

    Everyone sat down and began chanting, including the eight nuns who surrounded Huo Yuan and Tang Xiangfeng. Both of them were clearly confused by this outcome. Xiangfeng whispered, “What should we do?”

    Huo Yuan suggested, “Let’s continue towards the south wing. You lead, and I’ll protect you from behind.”

    Tang Xiangfeng raised her eyebrows, “Don’t be overly confident just because Elder Wu taught you a few moves.” However, seeing that Huo Yuan was next to her, Tang Xiangfeng felt safe and boldly exited the circle of nuns.

    Both were surprised that all the nuns continued their chanting and completely ignored the both of them.

    They entered the library in the south wing and searched frantically. Over an hour passed and the two only had a chance to explore half of the book shelves.

    ***

    “Xingye, how are you feeling?” Xingye smiled briefly before she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Wu Haocun patted her back, “I warned you the wine is strong.”

    Fengming hurried over to help Xingye.

    Wu Haocun helped Xingye up, “You can take her to one of the vacant rooms. She’s drunk. It’s better to let her rest here instead of returning to the temple. I will go to bed as well.”

    Seeing Fengming help Xingye to a room, Wu Haocun went back to his bedroom to change before returning to the temple. Even though Xingye could not handle wine, Haocun still added a sedative to her cup to ensure that she would get drunk faster. “Sorry Xingye. I hope you can forgive me.”

    ***

    Huo Yuan and Tang Xiangfeng searched the entire library, and they failed to find the imperial eddict.

    “Where can it be?” Tang Xiangfeng looked around the room. “Or perhaps we guessed wrong?”

    “We don’t have much time left. Is it possible…” Huo Yuan’s eyes widened, “Is it possible the Queen hid it in the least obvious place.”

    “The least obvious place?” Tang Xiangfeng smiled in understanding. “The library that contains the unwanted books. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”

    It was definitely not his brightest moment, but Huo Yuan couldn’t help being proud of himself. “Don’t just stand there; lead the way to the library.”

    “Don’t be so full of yourself yet.” Tang Xiangfeng hurried to get to the proper library in the east wing.

    The two rummage through the entire library when one book caught Huo Yuan’s interest. It was a rather plain looking book with torn pages. Obviously no one took interest in the book in years since dust had fully settled onto the book. It was a book that preached against Buddhism. He carefully scrolled through the book when he came across a neatly folded cloth hidden in the book. He took it out and whispered, “Xiangfeng, look here.”

    Xiangfeng ran towards his direction and he opened the piece of cloth for her to see. It was the imperial edict. Huo Yuan quickly stuffed it into his shirt, “Let’s go downhill to find Teacher (referring to Wu Haocun).”

    The two quietly walked to the main hall, hoping to exit the temple when they came across the same sickly person fighting against a masked intruder.

    The head priestess pleaded, “Junior apprentice sister, please stop this before you hurt someone.” The head priestess then proceeded to chant the second teaching of Buddha.

    The sickly woman laughed evilly, “It’s too late. Nothing you can do can control me anymore.” She looked at the masked intruder, “How dare you intrude on Puti Temple!”

    Huo Yuan and Tang Xiangfeng were shocked by how agile and powerful the sickly looking woman was. Every movement was exact and fierce; fortunately for the masked person, he was also highly skilled.

    The eight nuns with the swords surrounded the two people who were fighting.

    The head priestess ordered, “Stop your Teacher’s Sister.”

    The eight nuns hesitated. They were afraid of hurting their Teacher’s Sister, but they were equally afraid of getting hurt by her.

    The masked person yelled, “Stay out of this. You nuns will get hurt.”

    Huo Yuan and Tang Xiangfeng recognized Wu Haocun voice. Who was this sickly woman who could last this long against Wu Haocun without getting hurt? What surprised them even more was the fact that this sickly woman had the upper hand.

    The sickly woman kicked and aimed for Haocun’s head. Wu Haocun dropped his head in time. He dropped his entire body down and swept his bad leg and kicked upwards as he aimed for her right shoulder. She immediately jumped back and grabbed a sword from one of the eight nuns, “Whoever intrudes here has to die!”

    The head priestess jumped in to stop her junior apprentice sister, but the sickly woman palmed her forcefully, “You do not deserve to be the head priestess with such weak martial arts! I will show you how superior I am.”

    Wu Haocun, who never misses, threw a dagger at her sword and broke it in half.

    The sickly woman smiled sinisterly, “A broken sword in my hand is still a good sword.”

    Wu Haocun somersaulted over her and threw another dagger aiming for her sword hand and he reached out with his free hand to immobilize her, but the woman deflected his dagger with the tip of her sword and swiftly placed her free arm upwards to palm Wu Haocun. He was barely able to avoid her attack, but just as swiftly, the sickly lady tossed the sword down and continuously tried to palm him with both hands. He retaliated but found his strength was inferior to hers, and he was pushed against the wall.

    Huo Yuan turned to Xiangfeng, “You stay here.”

    He jumped in to help Wu Haocun. He aimed the tip of his spear at the woman, forcing her to shift out of the way. This second of distraction was enough for Haocun to jump to the other side.

    The sickly woman grabbed two swords from the young nuns and fought against Haocun and Huo Yuan simultaneously. Huo Yuan’s martial arts had improved significantly under the guidance of Haocun. His movements were now more fluid and more powerful. He swept his spear forward and downwards towards the woman’s left knee while he somersaulted above. He hoped that by using this technique, the woman would be too occupied defending herself from him to pay any attention to Haocun. Surprisingly, the woman quickly broke the spear with her foot, she immediately flipped upwards and kicked Huo Yuan’s chest and aimed forwards with both swords to attack Haocun.

    Huo Yuan flew across the room and spit out blood. Tang Xiangfeng ran towards him, “How are you?”

    “Not good. Who is this woman?”

    Tang Xiangfeng stood up, “I’ll go help him.”

    “Don’t. You will only distract him.”

    Haocun defended himself. His palms grabbed one of her swords and he used enough qi to break the sword free from the woman, but the woman generated her qi and palmed Wu Haocun.

    Never in his life had he fought against such a powerful opponent. The sickly woman did not even appear exhausted.

    The head priestess begged, “Junior apprentice sister, stop…stop before it’s too late.”

    The sickly woman laughed wickedly, “You’ve tried to oppress me all these years. Now look at me. See what I am capable of?” She was about to launch her sword towards Wu Haocun’s chest when she suddenly spit out a large volume of blood and fell forward.

    The head priestess walked towards the sickly woman, “Junior apprentice sister?” She put her fingers towards the sickly woman’s nose, “Merciful Buddha. She’s dead.”

    The head priestess did not seem surprise. But everyone else could not explain what just happened.
    Last edited by patricia n; 02-04-12 at 03:20 AM.
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  8. #148
    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    ******

    Fengming felt a cold shudder as she placed her hands around Xingye and helped her to the room. She knew Wu Haocun didn't use poison, but still...

    He made a poor judgment, she thought, her heart feeling faint. If there was one thing that Xingye really hates... it was putting something which shouldn't be there into her food or drink.

    Her fears were confirmed the moment they entered the room and the doors were closed - Xingye's eyes opened. Fengming gasped and subconsciously let go of her mistress. There were few who wouldn't do so, if they had seen how she looked like. Her eyes were icy cold and twisted in an enraged bloodlust, her expression as dark as the night sky. Her right hand twitched, and Fengming cautiously took a step back.

    Fengming dare not breathe louder, not to mention speak.

    Of course, if Wu Haocun knew better, he probably would not have done so. Anyone in Jiancheng would have known better than trying to spike her. Xingye wasn't always like that, but it was clear her mind would change after she was almost killed by poisoned food several years back. But Wu Haocun didn't know that.

    Xingye turned to Fengming - her expression had returned to normal - a kind expression and an ever-present smile.

    "I guess it's true that they say nothing lasts forever." Xingye shook her head. "So do friendship and trust."

    If Wu Haocun had trusted her that little bit, he would have told her. No, he didn't have to tell her what's going on, but to simply be honest enough to say it's too private for even her.

    He didn't trust her to tell the truth. He didn't trust her to say 'no'. He had to spike her.

    "What an underhanded method. I must say I am most disappointed in Brother Wu." Xingye nodded her head as she stepped toward her bed. "Rest, Fengming. You never know when you will need your strength and focus."

    Fengming stole a glance at Xingye's right hand, and saw that it had stopped twitching. Feeling relieved, she replied, "... Yes, Left Emissary."

    It was close, and she didn't want to have to deal with that again.

    // That fool! Now he has messed things up! // Fengming thought angrily.
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  9. #149
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    It had been a couple of days before Huo Yuan finally woke up from his deep slumber. He stirred and finally mustered enough strength to prop himself up. He looked around the room and saw Tang Xiangfeng resting her head against the wall next to the bed.

    She opened her eyes and exclaimed, “You finally woke up! Let me get your medicine from the kitchen.”

    Huo Yuan asked in a rather raspy voice, “Finally woke up?” He coughed and slumped forward.

    Tang Xiangfeng quickly supported him while scolding him, “Don’t talk. Elder Wu mentioned that you shouldn’t exert yourself while recovering.” She gently placed him against the headboard and then ran to gather the medicine from the kitchen.

    As Huo Yuan observed her disappearing figure, he smiled to himself.

    *****

    Up in the temple, a pigeon landed against Fengming’s bedroom window. She quickly retrieved the small note attached to its leg and then released the bird. Her eyes darkened as she read the message. How would she tell Xingye? She was only in a position to receive orders from her. Regardless, she must speak to her.

    Xingye smiled and only spoke after Fengming closed her bedroom’s door, “Did Jiancheng send us another message?”

    “Yes.”

    “Are they insisting that we proceed as planned?”

    Fengming nodded and quietly asked, “What is your decision, Left Emissary?”
    Xingye’s smile disappeared as she answered, “We will of course complete our task, but Brother Wu will have to pay for the way he mistreated me. Needless to say, we will follow Brother Wu for now. What could be so important for him to break our bond?”

    Fengming quietly sighed to herself. Left Emissary was a very vengeful person, but that task at hand was of utmost importance or else it would not have been delegated to such an important person in Jiancheng. She knew Xingye was beyond competent, but she hoped this set back would not take up too much of their time.

    *****

    Tang Xiangfeng returned with the bowl of medicine.

    “For how long have I been asleep?”

    “Four days.”

    The answer surprised Huo Yuan. He then wondered to himself, “Was she next to me the entire time?” The thought touched him.

    Tang Xiangfeng continued, “Don’t be surprised. That old lady was the most formidable opponent Elder Wu ever fought against. Even he was out for a whole day because of her palm. He has since been meditating to fully recover.”

    “What exactly happened to the old lady? Why did she die?”

    Tang Xiangfeng stirred the bowl of medicine and quickly answered, “That will be explained later. Here, drink your medicine.”

    She handed him the bowl, but when she saw that he was too weak to feed himself, she took it back from him, “Let me take care of this.”

    She blew the bowl of medicine to cool it down while lost in her own thoughts.

    Huo Yuan snuck another peak at her. He really could not believe how different she looked when she was cleaned up and dressed in proper women’s clothing. All these months that he had known her, she had always kept a dirty face and dressed in baggy men’s clothes. It amazed him that the longer his eyes gazed upon her, the sweeter and more attractive she appeared to him.

    Tang Xiangfeng caught him staring at her then blushed. She was quiet momentarily then abruptly became icy, “Don’t get any thoughts. I did the same for Elder Wu as well.”

    Surprised by her sudden change, Huo Yuan was silenced for the rest of the time.

    The next few days repeated themselves. Tang Xiangfeng took care of both Elder Wu and Huo Yuan. When Xingye descended from the temple, it allowed Xiangfeng more time to look after Huo Yuan. However, whenever there was any opportunity for them to grow closer, Tang Xiangfeng immediately became icy and distant. This confused Huo Yuan greatly, for he saw warmth in her eyes when they interacted, especially when she tended to his wounds.

    On their final day at Puti temple, he finally asked her, “Xiangfeng, did I do something to offend you? If I did then you need to tell me. We need to settle this since we have a long journey ahead of us.”

    “No, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

    “Then why are you suddenly acting so cold?”

    Tang Xiangfeng stared at him with a blank face before she decided to reply, “It doesn’t matter. I will not be traveling to Jianye with you anyhow.”
    The news startled Huo Yuan, “Why? When was this decided?”

    “When you were in a coma. I will be staying here to train.” To pacify him, she continued, “But do not worry. Xingye and Fengming will travel with you two, and after a couple of months, I will go to Jianye.”

    Huo Yuan became suspicious, but that was Tang XIangfeng’s decision. “Very well. You take care then.” He couldn’t explain it, but he was angry. Why did she have to hide this decision from him until the last minute? And why did she need to act so strangely towards him? He noticed that her behavior was only hot and cold towards him. He grabbed his bag and left her.
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  10. #150
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    Wu Haocun was resting in his room when he heard a voice outside.

    "Brother Wu. It's me. Can I come in?"

    He sighed softly as he pulled on his robes.

    "Yes."

    The doors were pushed open and Xingye walked in, carrying a tray that had a bowl of medicine. What happened a few nights ago, Xingye had already heard of it from the other nuns. Ordinarily they would be reluctant to tell outsiders the truth, but the nuns in the temple, especially the younger ones, liked and trusted Xingye very much they simply spill when questioned.

    Xingye did not ask Wu Haocun anything. Such an action would have been unnecessary - if he wanted to tell her, he would do so on his own accord. She could not expect him to be like Lan Mengying who she was the closest to and would always share (or trade) secrets with her, or Gu Yunfeng who would never lie or hide anything from her. He's of a different class. Always have been. To her, he was the forbidden fruit she could only yearn for, but never laid hands on. And she knew she must never do so, for once the mystery is unveiled, the feelings will change.

    "Brother Wu. It's time for your medicine." She said, placing the tray on the table.

    Wu Haocun nodded as he stood up and went to the table. Xingye had been taking care of him for the past few days and it made feel bad to have burdened her and that he couldn't tell her the truth. She must have already learnt of what happened, and the fact she didn't ask him anything made him feel more guilty. She was always so considerate of others, putting others before herself.

    "I'm sorry. As the big brother, I should be the one taking care of you..." Wu Haocun sighed.

    "What are you talking about, Brother Wu? You are the one who's injured, not I. Of course I will take care of you," Xingye replied smilingly.

    Wu Haocun nodded, not saying anything else. There was a lot he wanted to tell her, but he didn't know when would be the right time to do so. If only... if only Mengying was still around. Mengying would have shared his same cause and of course the same secret. And the girls were so close Mengying would have easily knew when and how to talk to Xingye about the things he wanted to say to her. About the edict... and about Gu Yunfeng...

    "Brother Wu, have this."

    Wu Haocun looked and saw a pill on Xingye's outstretched palm.

    "This is...?"

    "Jiancheng's Five-Souls Pill (五魂丹). It is an effective healing pill that will hasten your recovery process."

    "Ah... I see." Wu Haocun smiled. "I thank you then," he said, taking the pill.

    He thought of Huo Yuan, who was in a worse much state than he is. But before he could say anything, Xingye spoke, "I've given Miss Tang a few of the pills, so she could give it to Master Huo."

    Wu Haocun smiled, nodding his head. As intelligent and considerate as ever, she was already a few steps ahead of him!
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  11. #151
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    “Are you absolutely certain that you want to travel with us? There will be so much danger ahead of us on this journey.”

    “My answer has not changed since we encountered each other again. Fengming and I have already packed our travel bags and gave everyone our farewell.” Xingye replied.

    “Then there is no sense wasting time. I am almost fully recovered and will manage easily with whatever strength I have. Huo Yuan is also doing much better.”

    “Only because you transferred some of your energy to him, or else he would still be in a coma and you would have been completely recovered by now.”

    Wu Haocun closed his eyes briefly. He wondered how much he could hide from Xingye while they journeyed together. What will happen when they reach Jianye? Will they part ways, or will she ultimately find out their plan to unite Donghai under Prince Ying? “This disciple of mine has a lot of potential and has gone through life and death with me. It is only natural that as his teacher, I must do my best to save him.”

    Xingye nodded in understanding, “Let’s not speak further and take our leave while it is still daylight.”

    Tang Xiangfeng entered the room. A lot has been on her mind since her decision to remain at Puti Temple. She bowed slightly, “Elder Wu and Miss Xingye. Please have a safe journey and take care of yourselves.”

    Xingye excused herself, “I’ll let you two speak in private.”

    After Xingye left the room, Haocun turned to Xiangfeng, “Are you sure you have absolutely no regrets about your decision?”

    “It is all for the greater good. Please take care of yourself and that Huo Yuan. Remind him not to exert himself and train too hard.”

    ****

    Tang Xiangfeng watched as Wu Haocun, Xingye, Huo Yuan, and Fengming left. She then headed back to Puti Temple.

    The head priestess greeted her, “Tang Xiangfeng, the initiation ceremony will be in four days. Rest in the meantime and cleanse yourself of impure thoughts before you become a disciple of Puti Temple.”

    ****

    It has been two days since they left Puti Temple, and Huo Yuan needed answers. He had been patient long enough. At Puti Temple, Tang Xiangfeng avoided all of his questions and so did Wu Haocun. He knew the mystery behind that sickly woman’s death must somehow be linked with Tang Xiangfeng’s decision to stay behind, and being the only person kept in the dark embittered him. His moodiness and gloominess, which was very uncharacteristic of Huo Yuan, caught Wu Haocun’s attention. If he continued to be moody and gloomy like this, it would definitely interfere with his training and recovery. Even Xingye and Fengming observed the shift in Huo Yuan’s personality.

    That night Wu Haocun decided to tell Huo Yuan the truth. They were far enough from Puti Temple.

    “Huo Yuan, there is something you need to know about Xiangfeng. However, you must remember what our goal is. Each day Pan and Xiwu are getting stronger, and the only chance we have at protecting our own kingdoms is to solidify the relationship between Xiang and Donghai. We have very little time left, so once I reveal everything about Xiangfeng and what transpired at Puti Temple, remember to act rationally.” Wu Haocun was not blind to the growing bond between Huo Yuan and Xiangfeng; therefore, a part of him feared that once Huo Yuan learned the truth, he would not be able to focus on the more important task at hand. They really needed to deliver the imperial edict soon to avoid a calamity.

    It was not necessary for Huo Yuan to travel with them, but Wu Haocun cherished this disciple of his. His morality and patience and determination were not commonly found in young men these days. He hoped at the very least to see Huo Yuan complete his training before he returns to Xiang. He had improved tremendously, but he still had not learned the essence of Wu Haocun’s flying daggers.

    “I grew up in a military home. My father has brought much shamed to my household, and Xiang has turned its back on me no matter how hard I tried. But I am still of Xiang decent, and my roots will always be tied with Xiang. For the sake of restoring my family’s reputation, for the sake of my relatives and friends, I must do my best to protect Xiang. I will always remember that is my priority and my reason for traveling with you.”

    Hearing his reassurance and the passion behind his voice, Wu Haocun proceeded to tell him the truth, “I first learned about Xiangfeng’s secret a few weeks before we reached Puti Temple.”

    ***Flashback***

    Tang Xiangfeng sat next to Wu Haocun while Huo Yuan was training at the grounds about twenty meters away.

    “Xiangfeng, what I have taught Huo Yuan these past weeks, were you able to absorb a bit of it?”

    “Huo Yuan tried to explain the concepts to me and taught me some basic moves, but I have a very limited background in martial arts. Even if I wanted to learn, it’s not use.”

    “It’s looks like we have an affinity for each other. What if I take you as my second disciple? “

    Tang Xiangfeng looked down, “Thanks for the kind offer. Learning martial arts is useless for me because I do not wish to kill.”

    “I have seen you killed those masked men in Pan.”

    Remembering the night when Wu Haocun and Tang Xiangfeng rescued Huo Yuan and Xue Qian from the masked men and the owner of the twin blades, Xiangfeng explained, “At the time, I didn’t wish to kill them. However, when I saw the mask men were about to kill Huo Yuan, I…I knew that if I didn’t release those arrows then Huo Yuan would have died.” She quickly continued, “Please don’t misunderstand. Huo Yuan is the only guest inn to ever show me any kindness. All those times that Xue Qian bullied me, he was the only one to step in to save me. He really is the only guest inn to talk to me without looking down on me. So despite our differences, I view him as a good person.”

    “And it’s also because in exchange for saving him, you agreed to help me find Princess Cuifen.” Wu Haocun suspected something more than mutual friendship on Xiangfeng’s part. “However, martial arts can also be used to protect yourself.”

    “Elder Wu, in any other lifetime, I would be excited to have such a famous and elite martial artist take me in as a disciple but not in this lifetime. It would be a waste of your time. Please don’t tell Huo Yuan this because I do not wish to receive his pity. When I was born, my mom sought a fortune teller to look into my future. The fortune teller predicted that I would not survive beyond my twentieth birthday. The teller also predicted that I would be the cause of my father and mother’s deaths.”

    Xiangfeng finally reviewed her past to an outsider and it took much effort for her to continue without tearing up, “When I turned seven years old, my father took me hunting. He always took me hunting so I could improve my archery skills. I thought I had successfully shot an arrow at a tiger, and when I went to search for it, it jumped out at me. My father died in order to save me from that tiger. A month after his death, my mother died from grief. This story spread throughout our town, and everyone soon called me the cursed one. “

    Remembering the incident when Xiangfeng would rather die than reveal Sima Cuifen’s whereabouts o Wu Haocun, he uttered, “That explains why you are not afraid of death.”

    “Yes, it’s also because of this reason that I had to disguise myself as a boy. If I had not done so, no one would allow me to come near them. Everyone is afraid that because of my curse, anyone who interacts with me would also be cursed. So even if you took me in as your disciple, I would not live long enough to learn much from you. And now that you know, I understand if you do not wish me to continue on this journey.”

    “Xiangfeng, your destiny lies in your own hands. I do not believe in such things.”

    “The fortune teller also predicted that my big brother would marry into royalty. When we found out about big sister-in-law’s true identity, even my brother had to come to terms with the prediction.”

    ***Flashback ends***

    Huo Yuan remained quiet as he tried to sort his feelings for Xiangfeng, “She’s so silly for believing the fortune teller. Such events can still be explained by coincidences. Why did she choose to stay at Puti Temple?”

    Wu Haocun continued his narration, “It is tied to that bloodthirsty, old woman’s death.”
    Last edited by patricia n; 02-06-12 at 12:23 AM.
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  12. #152
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    **flashback**

    After announcing her junior apprentice’s sister’s death, the head priestess looked at Wu Haocun, “This outcome was expected, but I implore you not to share this with anyone. It will ruin Puti Temple. In return, we will not penalize you for trespassing.”

    Wu Haocun had never witnessed such a strong opponent, thus he could not let the matter rest. If the kingdom of Donghai could have such a powerful fighter on its side, it would be even more helpful. “Head Priestess, there is an important matter that I must speak to you about.”

    “Huo Yuan! Huo Yuan!” yelled Xiangfeng when she saw him passed out.

    Haocun ran to them and checked Huo Yuan’s pulse, “He is weak but still alive. “

    The head priestess ordered, “Bi and Bao, take this man to the recovery room.” Turning to Wu Haocun and Xiangfeng, “Both of you follow me to my chambers. “

    Xiangfeng looked at the two women carrying Huo Yuan’s body away and reluctantly stayed behind, “But Huo Yuan….”

    “I would feel better if you stayed with us,” spoke the head priestess.

    Haocun patted Xiangfeng’s back, “He will be okay for now. Besides, the head priestess is unsure if we are friend or foe, so it’ll be easier for her to keep an eye out for both of us this way.”

    “Thank you for understanding. Now follow me.”

    Once they walked to her chamber, Wu Haocun disclosed, “Head Priestess, we are well aware that the former queen of Donghai came to visit you over a decade ago.”

    “Yes, that is no secret.”

    “We came here because of your relationship with the queen.”

    The head priestess laughed, “The queen and I have no special relationship. She was a very generous benefactor and highly esteemed guest, and I was merely her humble host. If you came here expecting to learn anything more then I am sorry to have disappointed you.”

    “No, I don’t think I am wrong. There must be a reason why the queen chose to settle here longer than any other temples she visited.” He hoped the priestess would make his job easier, but seeing her stay quiet he had to find another tactic. “To be honest, everything that happened tonight was beyond my expectations. I never thought that Puti Temple would house such a marvelous fighter.”

    At this, the priestess became uncomfortable , “You are right. We truly have ordinary martial arts, but junior apprentice sister….” She did not wish to share more, “I beg you. Do not leak what happened tonight to anyone or else the outcome will be disastrous. Not only to us but also to the rest of the world.”

    This piqued Wu Haocun’s interest even more. Why did Puti Temple house such extraordinary mystery? “Head Priestess, the kingdom of Donghai would benefit from a strong fighter like your apprentice sister. The falling kingdom is about to be resurrected. I know that since you chose to become a nun, your ties with the secular world have already ended, but your involvement can prevent the loss of thousands of innocent lives.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “During my travels in the past few months, I’ve witnessed unnecessary massacre and suffering because of the internal struggle between the Donghai Princes. Pan is hungrily waiting at the side, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to overthrow Donghai and claim our land as theirs. Fortunately, Prince Ying has returned to Donghai and is attempting to unify the Donghai. All this is for naught unless we can build a strong army and have powerful fighters fighting alongside a wise and kind leader. The kung fu that your junior apprentice sister possessed, if a few people within Donghai can master that, then it would really make it difficult on Pan and Xiwu.”

    The head priestess smiled sardonically, “Alas, it’s not meant to be. Mister Wu, I cannot hand over that manual to you. My junior apprentice sister was not always this bloodthirsty. She was actually the kindest and purest among the disciples of Puti Temple and was second in line for the head priestess position. However, the manual changed her. The more powerful she became, the more evil she became. Her martial arts is of demonic nature. You were very fortunate that her time was up before she had the chance to end your life.”

    Tang Xiangfeng wondered, “Why did she die suddenly?”

    “This demonic martial arts is very difficult to master and is not compatible with everyone. Only those of Xiongnu blood can learn this without suffering fire deviation. We were warned not to learn this manual. Because junior apprentice sister was not of Xiongnu descent, she suffered from fire deviation. As she became more powerful, her organs began to fail her and it was only a matter of time before she killed herself by overexerting herself and worsening her organ failure.”

    “Then why did she learn the manual if she knew the consequences?”

    Wu Haocun couldn’t help but asked, “How did the manual fall into your hands?”

    “A very long time ago, Great grandmaster encountered a Xiongnu gypsy clan. All the members were obviously assassinated but one young lady barely survived. Grandmaster brought her back to our temple to save her, but it was too late. Before she passed away, she handed over the manual to us and revealed that her clan had been hotly pursued and killed because of this manual. She warned us about its evil nature. Junior apprentice sister not believe that only Xiongnu descents could master the manual, so she took the risk. Junior apprentice sister also thought that her purity and innocence could overcome the demonic nature of the kungfu and secretly learned it. If she was not as pure as she was, she would have given over to the demonic side much earlier. The only way we could help her was to chant Buddha’s teachings whenever we observed her evil side surfacing.” She let out a heavy sigh, “In the end, she fully succumbed to her evil nature as you witnessed tonight. And she became much more powerful along with that, which ultimately led to her demise. So it is of utmost importance that you do not share what happened. If the world knew about this manual, I cannot imagine how disastrous the outcome would be.”

    Xiangfeng stepped in, “Let me learn it.”

    The head priestess scolded her, “Did you not hear what I said? You would be of great danger to the world.”

    “No, please let me learn it. I don’t have much long to live anyhow, so if I learn it, I would die before I could do harm to the world. And if you don’t believe me, you can poison me slowly to guarantee my death.”

    Wu Haocun interfered, “Xiangfeng, this is not an option.”

    Xiangfeng faced him, “This is my choice. This is what I can do for Big brother and sister-in-law in return for all the love and kindness they had given me. If it means that I can exchange my life for their safety and happiness, for all the innocent lives in Donghai and Xiang then let it be.”

    Xiangfeng knelt down and pleaded, “Head priestess, please consider this. I am of Xiongnu descent, so I should be able to learn this manual safely, right? Imagine the calamity that we can avoid if I can help sister in law restore her kingdom.”

    The head priestess was puzzled, “Who is this sister in law you speak of?”

    “Princess Sima Cuifen, the sole child of the queen.”

    Hearing her speak, the head priestess thought about it for a long while before she consented, “It is true that there has been much more suffering these past few years. If we can restore peace then it will be worth the risk. Fine. I will do as you suggest. You can learn the manual but you must be poisoned slowly to prevent you from doing harm in the future.”

    Wu Haocun insisted, “Xiangfeng, you must not be foolish.”

    “Elder Wu, you often speak of making sacrifices for the greater good. Am I not applying what you taught?”

    Her answer silenced Wu Haocun. He finally asked her, “Then what about Huo Yuan? Don’t lie to yourself about your feelings.”

    Tang Xiangfeng firmly responded, “I have long resigned to my destiny and never dared to love in this lifetime. It is my luck to have met Huo Yuan, and I will always cherish my memories with him whether or not he feels the same. Huo Yuan is a good person who deserves someone much better than me, and I am sure he will find someone much better than me. So please do not tell him about any of this….I do not wish for him to stop me or else it will be hard for me to proceed with this. I want him to remember me as I am now before I change.”

    The head priestess interrupted, “Miss Tang, you have to be certain about this decision because there is no turning back once you commit to this plan.”

    “I am absolutely certain.”

    ****flashback ends****
    Last edited by patricia n; 02-06-12 at 12:43 PM.
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  13. #153
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    Lady Jia fell to the chair, her face pale and body trembling in shock. At the order of the King, she would be delivered to the Pan court the very next morning. To prevent her from running away, soldiers were posted outside her room to keep guard. There was no way out.

    As the time creeps by, she began to panic.

    “No… no… I don’t want to…” She jumped to her feet and ran to the doors, but found that they were bolted from the outside.

    She banged her fists on the doors.

    “Let me out of here! Let me out! I don’t want to go to Pan! Please! Someone! Please ask the King to have mercy on me!” She cried, but no one answered. Even though the soldiers felt sorry for her, they had orders that could not be defied.

    When she was tired from the yelling, she fell to the ground sobbing.

    “My lord…” she wept. She could not bear the thought that she was going to be gifted to another man, to be touched by another. She did not want to be with anyone else other than Prince Zhang – who could love and cherish her as much as he does?

    But now that he had fallen from grace, she’s nothing more than the concubine of a prisoner. Is this to be her fate?

    Still, how could someone do this to his brother?? Lady Jia clenched her fists.

    Scoundrel Ying indeed. She knew Prince Zhang and the other princes did not like Prince Ying very much, but she had reserved judgment because she did not know him personally. But seeing what he was doing now, perhaps there were truth to what they said about him.

    Wicked, scheming, a liar…

    She glanced at the table and her eyes locked onto the fruit knife.

    If she couldn’t stop from being sent to Pan, then the only thing she could do is…
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  14. #154
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    Continued from post 152


    After Wu Haocun finished his narration, Huo Yuan whispered, “How could you allow her to sacrifice herself like that?” He abruptly got up and ran to the door.

    Wu Haocun asked, “Have you forgotten what your priority is?”

    Huo Yuan turned around, “I have not.” His heart was torn, “I didn’t even give her a proper farewell because I was upset at her for keeping so many secrets from me.” He was forlorn when he asked, “She isn’t going to meet us in Jianye anytime soon, is she?”

    Haocun shook his head, “Her martial arts foundation is almost non-existent. Head priestess will train her exclusively for the next few months, but how quickly Xiangfeng progresses depends upon her ability.”

    “I just want to give her a proper farewell then I will come and meet up with you again.”

    ***

    The day of the initiation ceremony had arrived. Tang Xiangfeng changed into a white robe and put aside the garment that Xingye gave her. When she opened the closet to put away her garment, she found the pills that Xingye gave her for Huo Yuan. Xiangfeng had been so distracted that she had completely forgotten to give them to Huo Yuan.

    Thinking about Huo Yuan, she wondered when she would be able to see him. She had gotten so used to being around him that these past few days have been so quiet and slow.

    There was a knock at the door, and Xiangfeng knew it was time to go to the ceremony hall.

    Xiangfeng knelt down in front of the altar as the head priestess announced to all the disciples in the ceremony hall, “Today, Puti Temple acquires another disciple. Xiangfeng, you are still tied to the secular world, thus we will not cut your hair. You will be the sole secular disciple of Puti Temple. Do your best to avoid bringing shame to us.”

    “I understand.”

    The head priestess passed a small bowl of liquid to Xiangfeng, “This is your last opportunity to back out. This poison has no known cure. If you swallow this then you are guaranteed to die slowly over the next two years.”

    Xiangfeng grabbed the bowl and drank it in its entirety. She was surprised when she felt nothing.

    The head priestess informed her, “You will not feel anything now, but a year from now, you will slowly feel a stabbing pain each day. It will definitely worsen until you die from internal organ bleeds.”

    Suddenly, the voice of a young girl could be heard, “Please benefactor, do not enter the temple. We cannot welcome guests today.”

    “Where is Xiangfeng?” Huo Yuan wandered around and ignored the nun who tried to stop him. He entered the ceremony hall and saw Xiangfeng kneeling at the other end.

    Xiangfeng turned around and when she saw Huo Yuan, she stood up. “Huo Yuan, what are you doing here?”

    The head priestess bowed, “Merciful Buddha. Xiangfeng, your affinity with this gentleman has not ended. You need to take care of this so that you can concentrate these next few months.” The head priestess signaled for all the disciples to leave Huo Yuan and Tang Xiangfeng alone.

    “Xiangfeng, Teacher told me everything. You do not need to do this. Do you think your big brother and sister in law would want you to?” Huo Yuan stepped closer to her.

    Tang Xiangfeng smiled softly, “If you have a limited time to live, wouldn’t you do the same? Growing up, I felt so useless. Big Brother and Sister in law struggled to survive, and they still had to take care of me. Because of my curse, it was difficult for them to find people who were willing to trade with them or hire them.”

    “Nonsense! Even if you master that manual, do you think you can make a difference in this war?”

    Tang Xiangfeng also doubted that she could make a difference, “I don’t know. All I know is at least it’s better than doing nothing. Elder Wu has never come across a more powerful fighter than that priestess, so I am convinced that I can help Donghai and Xiang to some degree once I master the manual.” Xiangfeng looked at Huo Yuan once more, “Huo Yuan, please don’t try to stop me. It’s already too late.”

    Huo Yuan finally noticed the small bowl in her left hand, and Tang Xiangfeng followed his gaze. Sadness filled her eyes as Huo Yuan grabbed her left wrist and demanded, “What did you do to yourself?”

    Tang Xiangfeng was tired and had little energy to argue with him. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and she turned around so he could not see her cry.

    Huo Yuan felt an indescribable despair in his heart. He uttered, “Xiangfeng.”

    “Please go. Don’t make this more difficult for me.”

    He didn’t know what else to say to her. Without thinking, he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her tiny body. He thought to himself, “I cannot let her die!” He suddenly realized how much she meant to him and swore to himself that he would find the cure for her no matter what.

    Xiangfeng freely sobbed against his chest. She did not wish to die so young, but what choice did she have if her destiny was such? “Huo Yuan, please promise me that once I change and become an evil monster, you will kill me if I am beyond control and commit too much transgression.”

    Huo Yuan could not bring himself to agree. “Xiangfeng, you’re a really good person. I can….I can never bring myself to kill you.”

    “You must! If I dare turn against Big Brother, sister-in-law, Elder Wu, or you then you must take action to stop me. Or else all my efforts will be in vain.”

    Huo Yuan wiped her tears and finally nodded, “I will do what I can to stop you.” Yet in his heart, killing her was not an option.

    The longer Tang Xiangfeng she stayed in Huo Yuan’s arms, the more challenging it was for her to remove herself from his embrace. It was now or never, so she broke free from his grasp and whispered, “Thank you for giving me this moment. Thank you for everything, and please forget about me.” She immediately ran to the meditation chamber and locked herself in.

    Huo Yuan chased after her, but it was useless. He could not break into the chamber. He pounded its wall and yelled, “Tang Xiangfeng, don’t do this!” When he got no response he asked quietly, “How am I suppose to forget about you?”

    Inside the chamber, Tang Xiangfeng leaned against the wall and sobbed silently. Even though she knew he couldn’t hear her, she whispered very lowly, “Huo Yuan, please take care of yourself.”

    The head priestess entered the chamber through a secret door, “Xiangfeng.”

    Xiangfeng stood straight.

    “I know this is hard on you.” She handed a small bundle to Xiangfeng, “After I teach you the basics of martial arts, you will be able to study this manual yourself. Do not open it until I am done training you. Just keep in mind that the more powerful you become, the more evil you will be. We do not wish for you to complete the manual or else it will be greatly difficult for you to judge wisely. Do you understand?”

    Xiangfeng understood. She knew that she had to be strong enough to intimidate Pan and Xiwu but still be able to think coherently to help out help Donghai.

    The head priestess continued, “I have ripped off the final two chapters of the manual and hid them. That is the only method I can think of. I fear that the farther you get into the manual, the greedier you will become and will not be able to stop yourself from completing the manual.”

    “Thank you for taking this precaution.”

    The head priestess sighed, “You are a good person; it’s just too bad that this is your fate. After one year, you will begin to experience pain from the poison. And no matter how great your martial arts is, you cannot escape the growing pain. No matter how great your martial arts become, you will never be able to purge your body of the poison. You will slowly die a painful death, and I am really sorry about this. It is the only incurable poison that our sect knows of.”

    Xiangfeng did not care about the poison, for Huo Yuan still occupied her mind. “Teacher, can I make a request?” Seeing the head priestess nodded, Tang Xiangfeng asked, “Can you please make sure Huo Yuan leaves Puti Temple safely?”

    “Do you have anything for me to pass on to him?”

    “No. Everything I need to say, I’ve already said.”
    Last edited by patricia n; 02-07-12 at 07:52 PM.
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  15. #155
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    It has been days since they left Puti Temple, but the drab mood has barely recovered. Wu Haocun and Huo Yuan did not seem to be in a talking mood, particularly the younger man. But Xingye observed that instead of being lost in his own world, he was putting his energies into work. He has been very helpful, going the extra mile to get firewood or to get food for the group. The result was that Wu Haocun, Xingye and Fengming barely had to lift a finger.

    Xingye was still unaware of the reason behind Wu Haocun’s secretiveness, but she knew he must have succeeded in achieving what he wanted to do in Puti Temple. Judging by how he’s now moving southeast toward Donghai, could he be returning to his homeland?

    // Brother Wu has always been a patriotic man. Could this have something to do with Donghai? // She thought.

    Patriotism, Xingye mused, was something she would probably never have a chance to have. Even though Jiancheng was in Yizhou, they had gained autonomy from Xiwu a long time ago. As such, they had been taught they belonged solely to Jiancheng, not to any other state, and definitely not Xiwu. They have no loyalty to Xiwu and the Xiwu court had long ceased seeing Jiancheng people as their citizens. In Jiancheng people’s lives and thereafter, there would only be Jiancheng.

    Xingye stared at the slow burning fire as smoke rose into the darkening sky. It was just the two of them, as Fengming and Huo Yuan had gone to scout the terrain and to get more food.

    “… Brother Wu… have you heard anything from Brother Gu?”

    She caught Wu Haocun shudder, though it disappeared in a flash. It was easy to misunderstand it as a mere hallucination, but Xingye knew the shudder was real.

    “I wasn’t aware you kept in contact with him,” Wu Haocun replied, referring to Xingye’s earlier statement that Gu Yunfeng had told her about his marriage. “How did he find you? He didn’t say anything about it…”

    “It was a chance meeting,” Xingye said, knowing full well that Wu Haocun was trying to distract her from the original question. “We kept in contact since. As for why he didn’t tell you…” She paused and gazed into Wu Haocun’s eyes.

    Wu Haocun looked away.

    He need not speak further, for Xingye knew what he was thinking. On the day she left the Fabulous Four, Lan Mengying was much saddened, Gu Yunfeng was silent from shock, but Wu Haocun was most sorry about it and had even seemed guilty.

    There were many ‘what ifs’, but it was useless to question hypothetical situations. People always say time will heal all wounds, but that wasn’t true. Even now, Xingye still felt the wound, and Wu Haocun was clearly still hurting from his own emotional wounds.

    “Yes, on Brother Gu,” Xingye returned to the original topic. “I lost contact with him about seven years ago. To simply lose contact without saying a word, that's unlike him. Brother Wu, the two of you are the best friends. Do you know what happened?” Xingye asked.

    When Wu Haocun did not respond, Xingye decided not to push it further. Instead, she changed topic.

    “Brother Wu, are you going to Donghai? Will you, by any chance, drop by the Lan Manor?” Xingye asked quietly, her eyes staring down at the damp soil. “… I would like to pay my respects to Sister Lan…”

    // I’ve done nothing wrong. It wasn’t me. I saved her. I helped her. I allowed her to die with dignity. // Xingye’s eyes shut tightly as images of a burning manor flashed in her mind.
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  16. #156
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    Continued from post 143 Some random woods near Wancheng


    Wuxin seemed to be enjoying her rest without any problems. She had not moved once since she laid down and closed her eyes. Although Wuxin had her back turned to him, he could see her shoulders rise and fall gently with her deep breathing—signs that she is likely fast asleep.

    The night appeared peaceful enough. The breeze was gentle and the chripping of crickets sounded like a lullaby.

    Still, Xue Qian was unable to rest. Sleep well? He rolled his eyes and frowned in disgust. Even when he was hiding out with Wu Haocun and everyone else in Luoyang, he at least had a roof above and padding below. But now, the only things above his head were the moon and dark starry sky. Below his feet were dirt, grass,and perhaps even a few bugs crawling around. Even if he wasn’t worried about Wuxin’s motives, how could he possibly sleep in such an environment?

    Xue Qian surveyed the surrounding area. Nothing but trees. He could not even distinguish which direction was north or which was south. But it didn’t matter. Any moment he is to be stuck with this girl from Jiancheng, his mind would not be at peace. Once he can escape her grasps, then perhaps he could clear his mind and find the right directions.

    Xue Qian took a step forward, away from where Wuxin was sleeping. A few branches crackled under his foot. He quickly looked back at Wuxin to see if she was alarmed.

    No reaction.

    With that, Xue Qian took another step forward, gently placing his foot forward, so the least noise could be made. After Xue Qian took another few steps, he looked back at Wuxin again. She had not made one budge, nor has the pattern of her breathing changed.

    For a moment, Xue Qian wondered if she was just pretending to be sleeping and would awaken any moment to catch him trying to run away from her. But then, he realized it doesn’t matter whether she awakes and catches him or not. If it is true that Wuxin has order to protect his life for now, then she won’t kill him even if she catches him trying to escape. So what did he have to lose? With that in mind, he boldly stepped faster ahead. He took a look at the horse who was sleeping peacefully under a tree and thought about taking it along with him, but decided it was too risky as the horse will sure niegh and make more noise if it was awoken.

    Xue Qian walked for an hour or so and still did not hear any footsteps behind him. It seems that Wuxin have not awoken and followed him at all. To think he was afraid of waking her up. Seems like she’s not as skillful as he thought. He chuckled to himself to overestimating Wuxin.

    But suddenly, Xue Qian’s smile dropped. He thought he heard a ruffle some few feet away. Was it Wuxin? He held his breath to concentrate on listening for the sound. Another ruffle, from somewhere to his right. Xue Qian gazed toward to his right.

    Nothing but darkness. A thick bush of trees had shaded away all the moonlight.
    Wait…

    A pair of yellow eyes suddenly appeared, growing larger as it inched closer. Then another pair appeared, and another. Clearly, these weren’t human eyes. As the eyes moved closer, a head and body appeared as the moonlight was finally able to shine upon the beasts.

    WOLVES!

    Xue Qian froze in his footsteps, unsure of his fate. His throat turned too dry for him to yell or scream.
    Last edited by S Beaver; 02-15-12 at 02:50 AM.
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  17. #157
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    Changsha, Kingdom of Nanxi, Following post 129

    For ages, Changsha has been preferred destination for Kings to build their palace. The landscape is strategically protected by various mountains ranges in the north and west, and rivers to the east. Furthermore, the lush mountains and everflowing water provides an abundance of natural resources, creating one of the most prosperous economy in the land.

    But, with the Kingdom of Nanxi’s current political borders, the choice of using Changsha as its capital city may be a dangerous one. While the Yuelu mountains protect the city to the west, it is the only thing separating it from Xiwu territory. Fifty miles north is the lands of Donghai, separated only by Lake Dongting.

    Though, it hadn’t always been this way. The former King of Nanxi, Nangong Shu (南宫枢) was a fierce warrior and brilliant military leader, able to expand Nanxi’s territory significantly into Donghai and Xiwu’s lands. Unfortunately, his love of the battlefield also cost him his life. More than a decade ago, he was killed in Lingjiang while on an expedition against Xiwu, leaving behind his young son, Nangong Xu (南宫旭), to inherit the throne. Once the King fell, Nanxi’s military strength fell significantly and became an easy target for the surrounding powers of Xiwu and Donghai. To protect itself, Nanxi had returned all conquered lands back to Xiwu and Donghai and even offered some of its own hands to appease Xiwu and Donghai for the time being. Thus, leading to the situation of its capital city, Changsha, being dangerously close to the borders.

    Luckily, soon afterwards, the other powerhouses of Xiwu, Donghai, Pan and Xiang became engaged in a massive war in the North, therefore diverting attention away from the weakend Nanxi. After that war, all the kingdoms suffered losses severe enough to need at least a few years to recuperate. Xiwu suffered the greatest, needing at least a decade before they could against become a formidable force again and Donghai eventually fell into civil wars between the Princes after the old King died. Hence, Nanxi was able to buy another few years of peace.

    Now, more than a decade has passed since Nangong Xu has ascended to the throne. He had grown from a timid boy into a young man. During the interm, Chancellor Ruan Xichou (阮锡筹) , brother of the Queen Dowager, took charge of all civil affairs. But now, even after King Nangong Xu has passed the age of maturity, Chancellor Ruan Xichou was still the one in charge of most state affairs. It was a good thing that Chancellor Ruan Xichou had no sons and viewed his nephew as his own son, otherwise the ruling family may now belong to Ruan rather than Nangong.

    It had been a rough decade for Chancellor Ruan Xichou. While he is only in his fourties, his hair has turned completely white. He had seize strong central control over the Nanxi court while warding off rumors that he plans to overthrow the King and install himself. He had to keep the morale high amongst Nanxi subjects while at the same time appease foreign powers to prevent an invasion. Luckily, Xiwu and Donghai have both been too weak for the past decade and Nanxi was allowed to live in uneventful peace. Until recently, that is. The news that Pan and Xiwu have launched an attack against Donghai in the name of reclaiming the throne for Prince Ying has travelled fast. It means that both Kingdoms are strong again.

    Chancellor Ruan Xichou listened intentfully as Minister Mi Xiu (米修) gave his report at the morning assembly.

    “Your Majesty,” Minister Mi Xiu began, “The Xiwu army has already taken over Sang, invading from Jingzhou and Donghai lands. Along the way, they have stepped into our borders without even asking for our permission! Your Majesty, this is a disgrace against Nanxi. If we don’t do anything about it, we will lose face and become the laughing stock of the other Kingdoms. Your Majesty?” Minister Mi Xiu looked at King Nangong Xu, who was sitting on the throne at the head of the Grand Hall, slouched backwards, eyes closed, and drool dripping down the corner of his open mouth. Minister Mi Xiu sighed heavily. The King was asleep again.

    “Your Majesty!” Chancellor Ruan Xichou called out.

    “Huh? What?” King Nangong Xu opened his eyes lazily. “What were you saying Minister Mi?”

    Minister Mi Xiu sighed again. However he may behave, he is still the King afterall. “Your Majesty, as I was saying, Xiwu shamelessly marched through our lands without our permission!”

    “Hmm…but they have left, haven’t they?” King Nangong Xu shrugged his shoulders. “We didn’t lose any land, did we?”

    “Well…not yet…” Minister Mi Xiu hesitated for a moment. What was the King’s intention of asking these questions? Was it not obvious what action they need to take agaisnt Xiwu?

    King Nangong Xu smiled brightly, “Well then, what’s the matter then? Relax. Everything is fine. We haven’t lost anything.”

    “We’ve lost face!” Minister Mi Xiu exclaimed with desperation.” To let Xiwu walk over us like that, no other Kingdom is going to take us seriously. Who knows, perhaps they will try to devour us next!”

    “But they haven’t. So stop worrying about the future. Your hair will turn white faster if you worry too much.” King Nangong Xu waived off Minister Mi Xiu’s lament.

    “But…but…” Speechless at the King’s response, Minister Mi Xiu looked to Chancellor Ruan Xichou for assistance.

    Chancellor Ruan Xichou held his tongue. The King had already put his words down. It would fare well for the Kingdom’s morale for him to pubically speak against the King.

    King Nangong Xu yawned and stretched lazily, “Well, that’s settled. Anything else to report? Nothing? Well then, you are all dismissed for today.” With that, he stood up and walked out of the Great Hall.
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  18. #158
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    Continued from post 156

    Xue Qian took a step back. I must run, he realised. But when he turned around, he saw more of the yellow eyes. Surrounded!

    He swallowed thickly, but it didn’t help with his dry throat.

    “WAAARF!” A wolf howled fiercely as it jumped toward him!

    His eyes widened, as he stood there frozen in shock, unable to move.

    A short sword flew sharply from above and stabbed right into the leaping wolf’s head, killing it instantly. Seeing their comrade dead, the other wolves bared their teeth angrily, raring to pounce on Xue Qian as well.

    A familiar laughter rang and a veiled woman jumped down from above at the same time the wolves pounced, their claws extended.

    Wuxin danced around the wolves, avoid their attacks while cutting them with her dagger. As she waltzed past the dead wolf, she pulled out the short sword and started cutting with a higher efficiency.

    By the time she stopped, the wolves were all cut and they had stopped moving, panting and glaring at the two humans that stood in front of them.

    Then slowly, one by one, the wolves shuddered and fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

    The danger removed, Wuxin turned to Xue Qian.

    “Between Xiwu assassins, wild animals that’s going to eat you up, and me… who are you going to choose to stick with?” She smirked.
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    Xue Qian’s face alternated between flashes of paleness and flushing of bright red. The terror of almost becoming dinner for those hungry wolves if Wuxin had not intervened still left his trembling. However, Wuxin’s timing seemed to be a bit too perfect, not a second too late or too early, almost as if she intentionally chose that specific moment to appear. Xue Qian wondered if perhaps Wuxin had actually been following him all along and purposely waited until he was in his most desperate and embarrassing moment before intervening. The more he thought about the possibility, the redder his face flushed, from both frustration and embarrassment. He was even a bit angry at the thought of being toyed with.

    But, regardless of what Wuxin’s intentions may be, the fact still remains that she had saved him from the wolves. Therefore, given his status as an educated nobility, it would be a shameful act if he did not acknowledge the favor. He cleared his throat and tried to speak as coolly as possible, trying not to give away the annoyance in his voice. “I was feeling a bit stressed out and wanted to get a breath of fresh air by taking a stroll through the woods. I’ll remember the favor to saving me today and repay you back for it another day. Well, that was enough walking. We should be heading back now.”

    Without waiting to hear Wuxin’s reply, Xue Qian quickly turned to head back to their original camp area. However, after taking a few steps out, he hesitated, realizing that amidst the dark night, he had already lost his sense of direction.

    Wuxin chuckled and mocked, “Seems like you’d like to walk for a bit longer? Do as you please. I’m going back to get my rest. It’ll be a long day of travelling ahead.” With that, she turned and walked way in the opposite direction.

    There was at least one good thing about having a dark night. At least one could not see the crimson color of Xue Qian’s face. He wanted to retort back at Wuxin, but held his tongue. He knew there was nothing he could say at the moment to make his situation less embarrassing.

    Xue Qian quietly followed behind Wuxin, who also walked in silence. He was thankful that she did not choose to taunt him any further. He was unsure exactly how long they had walked, for in this situation, every second seemed to drag on forever.

    Suddenly, Wuxin stopped in her footsteps and turned around to grab Xue Qian by the collar. Before he could yell out in protest, Wuxin sealed his mute and paralyzing pressure points. With her right hand grabbing Xue Qian’s collar tightly, she quickly jumped upwards by at least twenty feet and landed gently on the branch of a nearby tree. The branch bended down slightly from the weight of two people but quickly oscillated back upwards. Wuxin tapped her feet against the upward moving motion of the branch and was able to lift upwards another few feet, landing on another branch in a similar fashion. She repeated the upward moving motions for a few times until they were more than fifty feet above the ground. Once she was satisfied with the height, she placed Xue Qian hanging over a large bough stemming from the trunk and found herself another steady branch to sit on.

    Xue Qian wondered what Wuxin’s intentions were. He wanted to yell questions at her but was neither able to speak nor move. It didn’t help that Wuxin remained as silent as the night itself. Different thoughts ran through his head. Was she going to kill him by dropping him off the tree? But if she wanted him dead, she should’ve left him with the wolves. Then why is she leaving him hanging on the branch of this tree? Was she vindictive and enjoyed forms of slow torture by leaving him up here to starve a few days or letting crows picked him to death?

    Luckily, Xue Qian didn’t have too much time to be lost in thoughts as soon the answer arrived. At least, the sound of footsteps soon arrived. Judging from the sound, there were multiple people. Xue Qian tried to catch a glimpse of the owners of the footsteps, but the night was too dark and the dense leaves underneath covered almost his entire line of vision. He was unable to see any of what was happening on the ground.

    The footsteps paused somewhere nearby and a voice began, “How curious. Judging by the footsteps earlier, they went in one direction down this way. But now there are footsteps going in both directions. Judging from the sizes and shapes, they belong to the same two people.”

    Another voice added in, “It means they must have gone somewhere and decided to return, probably back to the camp site. We’ve tracked them all the way out to here and did not see any other outlets.”

    A third voice spoke, “It is them for sure. I recognized that horse as the one they were riding and the footprints continued directly out of that area.”

    The moment the third voice had sounded, Xue Qian’s heart dropped. He had learned to recognize that voice with fear. It belonged to none other than Zhang Duo Qian’s bodyguard. “WHHATT? AGAIN? Why is he so persistent!” Xue Qian cursed silently.

    Zhang Duo Qian’s bodyguard continued, “They couldn’t have gone far. The area of grounds near the horse was still warm and these footprints still look fresh. Brother Guo, you lead some people to follow down this path of footsteps. Brother Liao, you take some people back and hide around the camp area to see if they return. I’ll search around this area to see if they are hiding anywhere.”
    Last edited by S Beaver; 04-08-12 at 02:42 AM.
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  20. #160
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    King Ying stood outside the door, hesitating.

    He was ashamed of his choice, but knew this was the only way he could keep Donghai safe… at least buy enough time to rebuild Donghai’s strength. With the kingdom’s current strength, it could never hope to defeat Pan alone, not to mention the joint forces of Pan and Xiwu.

    He knew Xiwu had approached a number of his governors for ‘friendly relations’, but Xiwu could not be trusted. After all, the ruling King was the same man who waged wars on Pan and Donghai. Who could trust him to have made a complete change in attitude?

    Still, in response to the request for friendly relations, he had taken the opportunity to send an envoy to Xiwu to request for the hand in marriage of Princess of the Northern Clouds.

    He thought of Gao Xingling and sighed.

    Then he pushed open the doors and stepped in.

    The least he could do is to explain to her.

    He blinked in surprise at the empty room. How could this be?

    It was at this time when he felt a chill down his spine and turned instinctively – just in time to see the approaching sharp end of a blade.

    King Ying reacted by reflex – his left hand went for the attacker’s wrist and he kicked out.

    “Ah!”

    The fruit knife dropped to the floor with a ‘clink clank!’ and Prince Ying stared in rude shock to the assailant. Lady Jia held a hand to her stomach most painfully, but the pain did not distract her from her emotions for she glared hatefully at King Ying.

    “Let go! Don’t touch me!” Lady Jia demanded as she tried to pull her wrist out of King Ying’s tight grasp.

    As the shock subsides, King Ying released her wrist and she pulled it away. She looked at him warily and her eyes darted to the dropped knife… and she went for it! Quickly, King Ying kicked away the knife and he saw the fire in her eyes turn to despair as the knife slides under the cupboard.

    Lady Jia collapsed to the floor and started to cry.

    King Ying sighed.

    “… I know why you are doing this. But know that your sacrifice is for Donghai’s good…”

    “What do I care for Donghai?! Why do I have to carry the burden of this country?!” Lady Jia questioned angrily, glaring tearfully at King Ying. She had long learnt that women, particularly beautiful women like her, would live to be mere baits, gifts and trophies to be exhibited for the sake of the insatiable male ego.

    Prince Zhang was the only person who didn’t treat her as such and as far as she was concerned, he was the person who rescued her from that life and a loveless marriage. Her loyalty was only to Prince Zhang but otherwise the affairs of the state were not her concern. A woman has no business interfering with state affairs after all, and her dreams were simple – to be with the man she loves.

    She glared at King Ying. Behind that handsome face lays a wicked heart. He obviously knew his brother loved her and yet he did this. What else, other than out of spite? For the country? Nonsense. She is hardly the only beautiful woman in Donghai and there must be many beautiful women much younger than she is. Besides, this immoral deal will only hurt the dignity of Donghai.

    King Ying looked the obscure glint under the cupboard. If she could do this to him, there’s no guarantee she wouldn’t repeat the stunt on King Pan. And if she did, it would be more than trouble. It would be difficult to convince a woman who cared more for her lover than the country but luckily he’s prepared.

    “Face it. This is the agreement elder brother and I have.”

    He met the eyes of Lady Jia and stared into it, hard. If he didn’t do so, he would have averted in guilt and his lie would have been exposed.

    “You lie,” She gritted her teeth.

    “I’m not,” he retorted. “Even though my brother did many things before, it was because he thought it was for Donghai’s own good. He did the wrong things for the right purpose. He may be in prison right now, but he still thinks of Donghai. This is why he made the decision to agree to my request…”

    “How dare you make such a lie.” Lady Jia hissed. In a sudden move, she jumped to her feet, grabbed the teapot from the table and threw it at King Ying who ducked on time. Ignoring the attack, he pressed on – this time harder.

    “I speak the truth. Brother knows what’s more important. To him, Donghai is more important than his personal love…”

    He ducked as books came flying at him, and past his head. He was not completely safe – some of the books hit his arms and legs. But the ‘ammunition’ eventually ran out and he made his final move.

    Moving forward swiftly, he grabbed at both Lady Jia’s wrist and pulled her away from the tabletop where she was about to grab a vase to throw at him.

    “Don’t touch me, you liar!”

    “I’m not a liar!” King Ying raised his voice. “You already made him lose the kingdom! Do you think he will allow you to cause more harm by disobeying!”

    Lady Jia quieted down. She stared into his eyes sorrowfully. “How could… you…”

    “It’s true, isn’t it? For you, Brother plotted and schemed for the downfall of Advisor Situ’s son. Unable to bear the loss of their only son, Advisor Situ and his wife committed suicide. It was because of this incident that Father decided to disinherit Brother. If that hadn't happened, Brother would have become King, and the civil unrest wouldn't have happened in the first place. It’s all your fault that all these happened. Don't you think you should pay some responsibility for it?”

    “No, that’s…”

    King Ying grasped onto her wrists tighter. He wasn’t about to let her have the chance for defence.

    “Do you not have any shame! No shame even after causing the death of your husband and parents-in-law like that? Thankfully Brother awoke to his mistakes while in prison. Of course, he still cares for you, but the difference is that he is no longer blinded by his love for you. Now, he is only concerned how he can help Donghai and atone for his crimes. If you love and care about him, you will do this for him.”

    King Ying lets go of Lady Jia, dug into his robes and pulled out a letter.

    “If you still don’t believe me, read this. You should recognise his handwriting.”

    Lady Jia looked at him uncertainly before taking the letter, opening it with shaking hands.

    King Ying watched at her change in expression as she reads the letter. Tears fell from her eyes, disbelief written on her distraught face. She speaks no more and King Ying knew no words were needed.

    As he quietly leaves the room, he stole a guilty glance at the weeping Lady Jia.

    // I’m sorry… but this is for Donghai. I can only do this. //
    Last edited by Guo Xiang; 04-08-12 at 12:27 PM.
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